The recent trend for portable devices has increased the needs and requirements for environmentally friendly rechargeable batteries suitable for use for consumers as a replacement to primary, or not rechargeable, batteries. A conventional rechargeable alkaline battery, e.g., nickel-metal hydride or nickel cadmium, has a negative can and a positive cap. Cylindrical nickel-zinc cells may be designed with polarities in reverse or opposite of a conventional alkaline battery. In the reverse polarity design, the battery vent cap is the negative terminal and the cylindrical case or can is the battery positive terminal. The reverse polarity design provides low impedance and low hydrogen evolution at the negative terminal. When employed in electricity powered portable devices, such as power tools, the reverse polarity design does not affect the consumer, because the rechargeable battery may be built into the device or be separately wrapped or encased. However, when the cells are individually supplied, a consumer may possibly mishandle a reverse polarity cell and cause damage to the cell or equipment by using or charging a reverse polarity cell as a conventional polarity cell.
In order to make available individual cells to mass consumers, a conventional polarity cell design for a nickel-zinc cell is sought that provides good impedance and hydrogen recombination at the negative terminal.